A nine-year-old girl has been killed while her father and brother have been injured after Crime Control Department (CCD) officials opened fire on their car in Chakwal, mistaking it for a robbers’ vehicle.

The deceased has been identified as Hania Ahmed. Her father, Adeel Ahmed, 39, is an Australian national originally from Dhudial village, Chakwal. He had arrived in Pakistan recently along with his wife Dr Sidra Khan, son Aafan Ahmed and daughter Hania.

The couple had gone for Hajj and returned from Saudi Arabia on Wednesday morning. That evening, Adeel’s father-in-law hosted a dinner for the families of his two daughters. The family left the residence at around 11:40pm.

Dr Sidra wanted to visit her maternal uncle, Ali Ejaz, whose home is located near the CCD station. As the family stopped their rented car outside his house, two men arrived on a motorcycle.

One of them, armed with a pistol, approached the car and demanded jewellery and cash. Ali Ejaz told a private media outlet that his niece handed over jewellery worth Rs500,000 to the armed man.

At that point, a CCD official who was returning to the station after a meal spotted the robbery in progress. He went inside, took an SMG gun from a constable and opened fire on the robbers, who retaliated before fleeing on foot, leaving their motorcycle behind.

As the firing broke out, Adeel drove away. Officials, seeing the car speed off, mistook it for the robbers’ vehicle and opened fire on it. CCD personnel also gave chase on motorcycles but could not catch up.

Adeel drove the car to his father-in-law’s home, where he lost control and the vehicle crashed into the gate. The family was rushed to District Headquarters Hospital, where Hania was pronounced dead.

Adeel and his son Aafan were referred to Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi, where both underwent surgery. Adeel has since been discharged while Aafan remains under treatment. Dr Sidra was unharmed.

CCD Regional Officer Rawalpindi Hassan Jehangir Watoo and District Police Officer Chakwal Kashif Zulfiqar visited the family and assured them of action against those found responsible.

The DPO told a private media outlet that a Joint Investigation Team has been formed and would present its findings soon.